Dawne i współczesne zachęty do lektury siedemnastowiecznego przekładu pieśni Horacego

Abstract

The study contains an analysis of two texts recommending reading of a Polish 17th‑ century translation of Horace’s songs. Both the texts are included in the volume 31 of the Biblioteka Pisarzy Staropolskich [Library of Old‑Polish Writers] series that presents critical editions of old literature. The author of the article contrasts two prefaces directed to the readers: the Old‑Polish one written by Sebastian Petrycy of Pilzno (a translator of the songs), and a preface authored by the contemporary editor of Petrycy’s translation – Jacek Wójcicki. Both authors are suggestive in their manners of enticing to reading, yet – at the same time – they differ significantly. They use rhetorical tricks aiming at persuading the audience to read the work. Each of them, however, sets a different goal: Patrycy tries to reach the educated and refined audience, knowledgeable about literary trends of the epoch, whereas the contemporary editor – in accordance with editorial assumptions and conventions of the Library of Old‑Polish Writers – tries to attract not only experts, that is the historians of literature, but also all the readers interested in poetry and the history of Polish culture. The editor from the beginning of the 21st century – which is proven by the author of the article – shaped his reasoning directed to readers according to the pattern of “speech for the defence.” Along these lines, he defends both the literary translation criticism (underappreciated by some) as well as the author of translation himself, while at the same time imitating the Old‑Polish vocabulary and phraseology.